BILL NUMBER: ACR 88	CHAPTERED  09/20/99

	RESOLUTION CHAPTER   120
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE   SEPTEMBER 20, 1999
	ADOPTED IN SENATE   SEPTEMBER 9, 1999
	ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY   SEPTEMBER 3, 1999
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   SEPTEMBER 3, 1999

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Cox
   (Coauthors:  Assembly Members Ackerman, Alquist, Aroner, Baugh,
Cunneen, Florez, House, Leach, Longville, Machado, Robert Pacheco,
Reyes, Soto, Steinberg, Strickland, Strom-Martin,  Zettel, Ashburn,
Baldwin, Bates, Battin, Bock, Brewer, Briggs, Calderon, Campbell,
Cardenas, Cardoza, Cedillo, Corbett, Correa, Davis, Dickerson,
Ducheny, Dutra, Firebaugh, Frusetta, Gallegos, Granlund, Havice,
Hertzberg, Honda, Jackson, Keeley, Knox, Kuehl, Lempert, Leonard,
Lowenthal, Maddox, Maldonado, Margett, Mazzoni, McClintock, Migden,
Nakano, Olberg, Oller, Rod Pacheco, Papan, Pescetti, Romero, Runner,
Scott, Shelley, Thompson, Thomson, Torlakson, Villaraigosa, Vincent,
Washington, Wayne, Wesson, Wiggins, and Wildman)
   (Coauthors: Senators Baca, Bowen, and Rainey)

                        AUGUST 30, 1999

   Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 88--Relative to Rett Syndrome
Awareness Month.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   ACR 88, Cox.  Rett Syndrome Awareness Month.
   This measure would designate October 1999 as Rett Syndrome
Awareness Month.




   WHEREAS, Rett Syndrome is a devastating condition that affects
almost exclusively girls who have developed normally up to 6 to 18
months of age; and
   WHEREAS, This condition causes a period of regression, which can
be manifested by any number of problems including:  loss of acquired
speech, breathing dysfunctions, seizures, muscle rigidity or joint
contractures, scoliosis, teeth grinding, growth retardation,
decreased body fat and muscle mass, abnormal sleep patterns causing
irritability or agitation, chewing or swallowing difficulties, poor
circulation in lower extremities, and decreased mobility; and
   WHEREAS, Apraxia (dyspraxia), which is the inability to program
the body to perform motor movements, is the most fundamental and
severely handicapping aspect of Rett Syndrome and interferes with
every movement, including eye gaze and speech, making it difficult if
not impossible to accurately access the child's intelligence; and
   WHEREAS, Since there is no biological testing that can be used to
diagnose Rett Syndrome, it is diagnosed by clinical observation over
a period of months or years; and
   WHEREAS, Rett Syndrome is most often misdiagnosed as autism or
cerebral palsy causing a harmful delay in receiving the correct
medical treatments and educational programs; and
   WHEREAS, The majority of the medical profession has little
knowledge of Rett Syndrome; and
   WHEREAS, More often than not the professionals that are aware of
this condition have extremely limited and outdated information
leading them to believe that the diagnosed child has no potential for
learning or physical growth, causing harmful delays in prescribing
the correct medical treatments and therapies; and
   WHEREAS, This same lack of understanding in the educational system
causes a great deal of frustration for the parents who have to
convince the educators that given the correct teaching methods and
time allowed for the child to process incoming stimuli, the child
diagnosed with Rett Syndrome is just as likely to increase her
learning ability as any other child up to her individual potential;
and
   WHEREAS, Due to this lack of knowledge about Rett Syndrome in the
medical profession and educational systems, the parents are forced to
spend a great deal of time and effort researching treatments,
therapies, and instructional methods that may work for their child's
specific Rett Syndrome variables; and
   WHEREAS, Increasing the awareness and understanding of this
severely handicapping condition will help these children receive the
correct and early interventions that will allow them to attain their
potential; and
   WHEREAS, Texas, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania are in the process
of designating October as Rett Syndrome Awareness Month, and other
states will be asked to follow our lead in educating the general
public of this condition; now, therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby designates October
1999 as Rett Syndrome Awareness Month in this state in order to
increase public awareness of this condition and the availability of
successful medical treatments and educational programs.
